A Study on the Introduction of Professional Ice Navigators for Polar Waters

As Arctic sea ice melts, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) has emerged as an economically viable shipping lane. While South Korea aims to become a leading Arctic maritime hub, it faces a critical shortage of qualified polar seafarers. This study aims to propose the introduction of "Professional Ice Navigators" to address this workforce shortage and operationalize the supplementary personnel provisions permitted by the Polar Code. Through a comparative legal approach, this study analyzes seafarer qualification requirements within the STCW Convention, the Polar Code, and the national regulations of Arctic coastal states such as Canada and Russia. These international and national frameworks are then compared with South Korea's current maritime legislation (the Seafarers Act and Ship Officers Act). To successfully introduce these specialists, the study proposes three key measures: (1) revising domestic laws to legally define and authorize supplementary ice navigators; (2) establishing concrete qualification standards and advanced training curricula; and (3) forming cooperative consultative bodies with Arctic states and key polar partners to ensure mutual recognition of qualifications. While this study establishes the necessity and legislative framework for this system, it is limited in scope. Subsequent research is required to define the exact qualification criteria, detailed educational content, and specific training durations for these professionals.